Nothing Else Matters
by MrsAndrewMartin
Summary: This is the story of an old friend of Lilly and James. After their death, she quit practicing magic and moved to America because of a terrible secret. She has now been summoned back to teach years later.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own any of JKR's characters, I only own my own…Yeah well anyway I am not making any money out of this fan fiction…It is just for fun. I hope you all enjoy it and please RR, I have just become a Harry Potter fan and I hope that my FF is good enough. By the way I know the title of the FF really sucks but right now I am listening to Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" and it just seems to fit it well. So anyway enjoy!

_"Aubrey, Lilly and James are dead! Voldemort killed them! The only survivor was Harry, oh that poor baby boy Harry!"  
_   
            Aubrey Cerowin awakened with a jolt. She didn't quite know why she had awoken so abruptly; she felt that maybe it had something to do with her nightmare. Actually she knew it had something to do with her nightmare, every time she had awoken in the early morning hours it always had something to do with the same nightmare she had been having over and over again. She got out of bed and walked over to her balcony doors, she turned the knobs and threw them open. A strong breeze blew through and rustled the curtains that were hung over the balcony doors. Aubrey walked out onto the balcony and folded her arms across her chest, trying to keep herself warm. She leaned against the railing of the balcony and looked out at the scenery. The sky was dark, but not just because it was nighttime but also because it looked as though it might storm. 

            "When are these dreams going to stop?" Aubrey asked herself with a certain amount of torture detected in her voice. She ran a slender hand through her long, blonde, curly, hair. She then noticed it; her hair was drenched in sweat. She knew why the dream was affecting her so much, but why now? Thirteen years later as she was only the age of thirty-three. "I need a vacation." Aubrey said to herself as she then turned and went back inside to her bedroom. It was there that she saw it; a beautiful snow-white owl was perched on her dresser. It had been forever since she had gotten owl post seeing as how she had given up witchcraft and had settled in America. Aubrey went over to this owl and inspected it, in its beak; it held a straw colored envelope with no stamp. Aubrey took it from the owl and inspected it. She knew just by the envelope, where it came from. Aubrey looked at the front center of the envelope and read the name on it. 

_"Miss Aubrey Madison Cerowin  
324 Avenue Drive  
Boston, Massachusetts, __02113-1143"_

Aubrey delicately opened the letter and it read this; 

               _Dear Miss Cerowin,_

_                                                Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry is in need of a Defense Against The Dark Arts Teacher. Our previous professors have not been up to the challenge, after looking over your credentials we feel that you have what it takes to be one of the best professors thus far. So please send word by our owl whether or not you accept the position you have been offered. If you have accepted then we will see you at Seven PM here on September 1st at our academy._

_Sincerely Yours,_

Professor Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress

'Oh.' thought Aubrey; she then said to herself, "I can't believe that they want me to teach this class…Well what choice do I have?" Aubrey sat down at her desk and took out a piece of parchment from a locked compartment in her desk as well as a quill pen. She began to write her reply;

_   Dear Professor McGonagall,_

_                                                                                It is with great pleasure that I accept your job offer. Mind you, I haven't practiced magic in almost thirteen years but I am sure that I am not as rusty as I once thought I was. I will do my best, please give my regards to everyone and tell Professor Dumbledore that I look forward to working with him as well as all of you. Thank you for this opportunity._

                                    Sincerely,  
                         Aubrey Madison Cerowin

Aubrey folded the letter in thirds and put it in an envelope. She then gently patted the back of the owl's body and handed him the letter. He put it in his beak and then flew out of the room and into the night sky. Aubrey slowly walked to the balcony and followed the owl with her eyes. She hoped in her heart that she was doing the right thing, in her gut however she couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to change. Now whether they were for the best or not, she didn't know. She only had four weeks left until she was to find out.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of JK Rowling's Characters. I only own my own and this plot. I hope you enjoy my story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I hope you all will RR! Enjoy!

Before Aubrey really knew it herself, she was on an airplane bound for London, where she would purchase everything she needed to conduct her lessons at Hogwarts. Years ago when she left for America, she had gotten rid of all of her magical things. She didn't even have her wand or her robes. She did however have a list of various things she would need.

            Upon arrive in Diagon Alley; she noticed that her apparel of a white button up sweater and black dress pants was just not going to cut it. Aubrey first stopped off at Gringotts Bank where she got into her vault and took out some money. She slid it into the pocket of her pants and then left the bank. Aubrey went straight to a clothing outfitter's store and purchased a simple black witch's gown, which was low-cut in the front. She also purchased a black witch's hat, then went into a changing room and put on her new dress. She slid her clothes into a shopping bag and then left the store, feeling much more comfortable then when she had arrived. After a few hours of shopping, she had gotten everything that she would need. She was informed before she got on the airplane that most of the books she would be needing, would be provided for her. She soon felt more up to what she was about to do after she had all of her purchases ready to go. The next morning she would have to travel to the train station in order to board the Hogwarts Express, which would take her to the school. Aubrey was nervous and went to bed that evening with butterflies all over inside of her stomach. It took her a while to fall asleep, but by three AM she was asleep.

            Morning came quickly and much sooner then Aubrey would have liked. As soon as she got up, she quickly showered and got dressed. She checked her reflection in the mirror and made sure she looked presentable. She threw on a robe and was out hailing a car to take her as well as her possessions to the train station. It only took about forty-five minutes in order to make it to the train station, but those minutes seemed like hours. Aubrey hated to admit it to herself but she was quite nervous of going back to Hogwarts, even if it was as a teaching position. She was fearful of people finding out her secret, her deep dark secret she had only shared with four people, four people who were her best friends; Lily Evans, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and last of all Sirius Black. There was one other she considered telling, but there was something about Peter Pettigrew she just didn't like nor trust. It was this secret that drove her out of the wizarding world after Lily and James passed away. 

            Upon entering her compartment in the train, Aubrey looked around with concern. She didn't understand completely why she felt so nervous but hoped that the feeling would go away soon and she could just sleep. She took a seat and crossed her legs, looking out the window. The scenery was definitely beautiful, and she didn't realize until she was sitting in the train at that exact moment, how much she had truly missed traveling to Hogwarts and the anticipation that came with it. She began bouncing her leg that was underneath her crossed leg up and down. 

            After the train began to move, Aubrey let her fatigue, which she suddenly started to feel, overcome her and she was soon asleep. She didn't wake up until hours later when it was almost time to evacuate the train. A conductor came up to her and gently tapped her on the shoulder. She opened her eyes, disoriented and looked at him, wiping the sleep from her eyes.   
            "Miss…" he began, "we are about to start evacuating the train, so if you will please get ready."  
            "Of course." Aubrey said and then added, "Thank you for waking me, I must've dozed off. I didn't get much sleep last night. How long until we reach Hogwarts?"  
            "About ten minutes." The conductor said and then left. Aubrey got up from her seat and stretched a bit. She grabbed a hair tie out of her small carry-on bag and slid it onto her wrist. She then took her long, blonde, hair and put it up in a tight bun. After that she put on her witch's hat and grabbed her bag. She was extremely ready to come back to Hogwarts, for she had missed it way too much for way too long.

            Upon entering Hogwarts, Aubrey was told immediately that she was to report to Professor Dumbledore's office because he needed to see her. She left her trunk as well as her other things with one of the people at Hogwarts who would take her things up to her room suite. She walked down the hallways and corridors until she came to the door that she knew led to Dumbledore's office. She knocked on the door and heard a 'Come in.' Aubrey did just that and smiled nervously at the headmaster.  
            "Have a seat Aubrey." Professor Dumbledore said as motioned with her hand for her to sit down. She nodded and walked over, taking a seat on one of the chairs across from his desk.

            "I was told as soon as I arrived that you wanted to see me Professor. May I ask what this is regarding?" Aubrey asked as she nervously twiddled her thumbs.  
            "I just wanted to say that we are very pleased to have you back under Hogwart's roof. We feel that you will serve our students in a way that they need to be served. I am sure you have heard about Remus."  
            Aubrey sighed sadly and nodded. "Of course Professor. He did write and tell me that he was teaching here at Hogwarts. It wasn't a real long letter or anything, just pretty much keeping me up to date. He wrote later on to tell me that he was discovered as a werewolf by students' parents. He then told me he resigned."  
            "Yes he did, I was very sad to see him go." Professor Dumbledore said, looking very thoughtful.  
            "Well Professor either he resign himself or parents would have resigned for him. He made a good choice…Granted he told me it wasn't easy, but he knew what he was doing. I guess he knew in his heart what he was doing was right."   
            "I am glad to hear that you and Remus have kept in contact, all things considering." Professor Dumbledore said, looking Aubrey directly in the eyes. She began to tremble a bit as tears came to her eyes.

            "Remus was one of the only people who never questioned whether or not I had anything to do with Lily and James' death, even though he knew my secret. Everyone else who knew was skeptical…Even Sirius. You know I would have expected him to believe me. I loved him Professor and he claimed to love me. I guess I can't blame him though. I even questioned myself…"   
            "Now Aubrey you had no need to do that. You are not like him, anyone who knows you, knows that. You were raised better then that, you know it deep in your heart as well as in your mind. It does not matter whose blood runs through your veins, all that matters is that you know who you are."  
            Aubrey nodded in agreement with this and sighed. She had a burning question, which needed to desperately be answered. "Professor, Remus wrote me last year and said that Sirius had escaped from Azkaban and was on the loose. He later wrote and told me in the same letter that told me of his resignation that Sirius was not the one to have murdered all of those people, Peter was. He then said the proof they had of Peter being the one to sell Lily and James out was gone. He then said that Sirius was on the run once again. Professor I need to know if he is okay. Is there anything that you can tell me? Anything at all?" Aubrey looked desperate; she had to know if Sirius was okay. Even though before he was taken to Azkaban, they had a falling, she still cared deeply for him and needed to know.  
            "Ahhh yes Mr. Black. I see that by the way you speak of concern for him, that you still care deeply and only want what is best. Sirius is fine; in fact he is hiding out somewhere tropical, I do however have a feeling he shall be returning shortly. He is Harry Potter's godfather none the less."  
            As soon as Dumbledore had said Harry Potter, Aubrey perked up a bit and looked sort of wide-eyed. "Harry is here, at Hogwarts? Is he…I mean is he okay?"  
            Dumbledore just smiled and chuckled to himself as he answered. "He is an exceptional young boy, doing very well in fact. He is entering his fourth year here at Hogwarts." Dumbledore managed to catch a glimpse at the clock in his office and then turned to Aubrey, standing up. "He must continue this conversation later. The sorting ceremony is about to begin, and I know how much you don't want to miss this."  
            Aubrey nodded and stood up, following Dumbledore out of the office and toward the banquet hall. She couldn't believe that young Harry Potter was going to be one of her students. She knew then at this point in time as to why her destiny was now Hogwarts. She had to protect Harry, not just for Lily and James but also because he was her godson.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Hey guys, Jenn here with Chapter 3. I do not own any of JKR's characters, I only own my own. So I hope you like this next installment. I can't wait to put up Chapter 4!

As Aubrey and Professor Dumbledore reached the banquet hall, the sorting hat was almost through sorting the first years into their respective houses. Aubrey took a seat at the teachers' table and watched the rest of the ceremony with great interest. It even brought back memories as to when she was younger and was sorted into Gryffindor House. It was there that she met the girl whom would become one of her best friends of all times, Lily Evans. A small smile played across Aubrey's lips as she sat with her hands folded on the top of the table. After the sorting hat was through, Professor Dumbledore stood up and looked around at all of his students, he then smiled and began. "Students, welcome to another year here at Hogwarts. Before we start the feast, we have one thing to get out of the way. We have a new Defense Against The Dark Arts Teacher. So if you will all be so kind to welcome Professor Aubrey Cerowin. Professor Cerowin if you would say a few words?" Dumbledore finished with as he waited for Aubrey to stand up and speak to her perspective students. Aubrey sighed and stood up, taking off her witch's hat. She set on the table and folded her arms across her chest.

            "Well Ladies and Gentlemen, as Professor Dumbledore said I am your new teacher for Defense Against The Dark Arts. I don't really have much to say, other then I plan to be the best teacher I can and any time you feel that you need someone to talk to about school or anything else for that matter, don't be afraid to speak with me. I will keep whatever you say confidential, so you don't have to worry about other people finding out what we talk about. I not only want to be your teacher but I also want to be your friend. So that's all…" Aubrey sat down and she knew she was blushing. It was mostly because she was nervous about speaking in front of all of those children. After she had sat down, Dumbledore let them know that it was time for the feast to begin. Aubrey began to eat, feeling at ease with everything. 

            The feat took a couple of hours to finish and then it was time for everyone to go to bed for the night. As Aubrey, stopped to talk to a few of her former friends, her eyes scanned over the crowd, until she saw him. He was a skinny young man with unruly dark hair and glasses. He had green eyes though, green eyes that couldn't be mistaken, he was Lily's son. Young Harry Potter, the boy she hadn't seen since he was only a year. She wanted to desperately go and embrace him, but something stopped her. She got out of her head; any thought she had what so ever of confronting the boy and telling him exactly whom she was. 'No,' she thought to herself. 'Now is not the time to tell him. I must wait…he needs time to get to know me first.' 

            Aubrey opted to go to her suite and get some rest. It had already been a big day and tomorrow promised to be even bigger. She had never taught a class before; it wasn't that she didn't think she could teach it was just that she was nervous she wouldn't be as good as others. 

She went up to her suite and changed into a white nightgown with spaghetti straps and a matching robe. She sat in front of her vanity mirror and began to brush her long, blonde hair until it shown like the sun. The castle was chilly, so she opted to keep her robe on while sleeping. She finished her evening before bed routine and went over to the large, four-poster canopy bed. She turned down the covers and slid underneath them. The cream colored-silk sheets felt wonderful against her skin; before she knew it she was fast asleep.

_"Destroy them…finish my work!"_  Aubrey awoke with a sudden jolt. She didn't understand why it was she awoke so fast, Aubrey felt maybe it had something to do with the dream she had. She couldn't quite remember all of it except bits and pieces. She was standing in a chilly and dark room. There was a hissing voice all around her, whispering, telling her to destroy, finish someone's work, but whose?

Aubrey was trembling extremely hard and sweat was pouring down her face and body. Her nightgown as well as her robe was completely soaked. What she needed was a shower; she got out of bed and pulled a pair of pajama pants and tank top out of her dresser drawer. She walked into her private bathroom and ran a tubful of warm water. True she was sweating but she was also shaking and her teeth were chattering. She stripped off her nightgown and stepped into the tub. She sank down and let the warmness of the water, soothe as well as calm her down. She closed her eyes and drifted off for about a half an hour. Something awoke her though. It was the sound of a stone hitting one of the windows in her bedroom. She quickly drained the water out of the tub and got out. She dressed in her pajama pants and tank top, wrapped her hair in a towel, and ran to the window. The stone that had hit the window had also broken through and was lying on the floor of her room surrounded by shards of glass. She knelt down to inspect it but decided that there was really nothing to inspect. She picked up the glass with her hands as well as the stone and put it in the trashcan. Aubrey then went over to the window and opened it, looking out onto the foggy ground. She didn't know if her eyes were playing tricks but it seemed as if a large dog was looking up at her. It couldn't be…no of course it couldn't be Sirius. Why would he be on Hogwarts' grounds? He didn't have any business there as of right now. She pushed out any thoughts in her mind of it being Sirius and went straight back to bed where she quickly fell asleep.

Aubrey didn't wake up until six thirty AM, as well as woke up feeling stiff and ill at ease with everything. She had thought that going back to sleep would make everything all better but the truth is it didn't. All she really did was keep dreaming that same eerie dream all over again. Right when she was about to see the thing that was talking to her, the dream would start over at the beginning. It kept replaying at least five times throughout the course of her slumber. She got up and quickly dressed in one of her black witch's gowns as well as one of her Hogwarts' robes. She bound her hair up into a tight bun and put her witch's hat on over it. She took her right hand and rested it on the back of her neck, gently rubbing. Aubrey sighed and then walked to make her way down to breakfast.

The dining room was completely filled with students and teachers alike who were extremely hungry and ready for breakfast. Aubrey sat at the table as well as she picked at her food. Her stomach was filled with anxiety, anxiety she couldn't get rid of. She opted not to eat anymore, for she couldn't. She got up from her seat and walked out of the dining room and into her classroom. Her stuff had all been set up and put away. This made her feel somewhat at home, but still not completely at ease. She took a seat at her desk, looking at the clock. Pretty soon the fourth year students would be coming in, she took off her witch's hat and placed it on her desk. She hated those hats, they were so bloody heavy. Her thoughts about her hat were interrupted by the sound of Hogwart Fourth Year Students coming into the room. Aubrey looked up at them and smiled at them. She did get a glimpse of young Harry Potter as well as a young redhead boy and a girl with beautiful brunette hair that were with him. Following behind them were a bunch of various other students. Three in particular was one with blonde hair and a very evil look to him, another one who was very large in the stomach area, and last of all there was another student with those two who was very tall and chubby. Aubrey immediately recognized the blonde hair boy as being Draco Malfoy, he looked just like his father. Aubrey sighed and stood up, she was ready to begin her first lesson.  
            "Well class if you will all take a seat, we shall begin. First off as most of you already know my name is Professor Cerowin but you may call me Aubrey, that's my first name. I feel that if you respect me then you should receive that same respect. So let's just all be on first name bases. Now let's begin, what was one thing you studied with Professor Lupin last year?"   
            Hermione Granger raised her hand as Aubrey smiled at her and nodded. "He taught us about Boggarts and the best way to defeat them." Miss Granger said matter-of-factly.  
            "Ah yes, the Boggart, a very interesting creature who likes the dark." Aubrey said as she took a seat on top of her desk and looked out over her students. Her gaze then focuses straight on Harry who looked at her as if he was trying to remember something. Aubrey subtly winked at him and then looked out at the rest of her students, just in time to hear a very snide remark by Draco Malfoy.  
            "Boggart, any idiot could tell us that they like the dark. I don't know how they let you in here teaching, you seem to me to be just another blonde bimbo." Draco said as he received a bunch of snickers from his fellow Slytheran classmates. Aubrey looked at him quite angrily and before she had a chance to say anything, Hermione beat her to it.  
            "Why don't you just shut up Malfoy, if you think you are so much better why don't you teach the class?" Hermione said as Draco just glared at her and replied with this. "Why don't you just shut up you filthy little mud blood. They never should of let you into Hogwarts." Hermione went red with embarrassment and looked as though she would cry. Before Harry or Ron could jump to her defense, Aubrey was already on her feet and over to Draco's table. She grabbed him by his ear and lifted him to his feet. He yelped with pain as she dragged him out of class and started walking down the hall with her fingers roughly gripping his ear.   
            "Let go of me! You have no right, you just wait until I tell my father about this and he will have you fired before you have time to finish out your first week here at Hogwarts!" Draco said almost crying. Aubrey stopped dead in her tracks and let go of his ear, she did however grip tightly to his arms and look down into his eyes. Gone from her face was the warm loving look she once had, no now it was the look of a cold-hearted woman who was ready to draw blood. Draco sort of cowered in her grasp as she put a small smirk on her face. Aubrey then began to speak in a low and almost sadistic voice.  
            "You listen to me you little spoiled brat, I will not put up with that type of crap in my classroom. You may not think I know who your father is, but believe me I do. In fact I even went to school with him and he was just as spoiled and just as much of a smart arse as you are. Listen and listen good Malfoy, I despise little jerks like you who think that just because they were born with both wizard parents that they can walk all over everyone else. I think little brats like you shouldn't even be here in school, in fact I believe that they belong in Azkaban with the other common prisoners. Now you are going to behave from now on and if you don't I swear that I will see to it that you are expelled from Hogwarts and that you are never able to return, am I clear?" Aubrey asked him with such a cold voice it sent chills down his spine.  
            "Y..yo..you ca…can…can't do anything t…to m…me." Draco stuttered out with no confidence.  
            "Look into my eyes dear and say that again. Now are you going to go back to my class and keep your mouth shut or shall I take you down to Professor Dumbledore and let him handle you?" Draco said nothing and Aubrey smiled. "That's what I thought, now let's go back to class." Draco walked in front of her, his head lowered and his shoulders slumped. Aubrey walked into class with a certain amount of confidence that day. When everyone got a look at Malfoy who was apparently shaken up, they looked at Aubrey in shock. Harry looked at the woman whom he didn't know was his godmother with respect and a smile on his face. Aubrey smiled back and began her lesson. Her first day had started out great, hopefully all of them would be this good.  
  
TBC


End file.
